The enemy is always tempting us and sometimes he will even use God’s Word in his attempts to get us off track.

The enemy tempted Jesus in the wilderness to take things in his own hands for his own satisfaction (you’re hungry, turn these stones to bread) (Matt 4:3)

Jesus’ human belly was surely growling after not eating for 40 days, but he refutes the temptation with Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God.” (Matt 4:4)

The evil one then offered Jesus a shortcut to have all the kingdoms of the world, and avoid the cross, if Jesus would just worship him instead of God. Again, Jesus used Scripture to withstand the temptation of Satan. (Matt 4:8-9)

The gospel of Luke, describing the same account tells us the enemy himself used Scripture. (read Luke 4:9-12)

Don’t. Miss. This.

The evil one knew and quoted God’s Word.

Just because someone can quote Scripture does not mean he is using it accurately.

And if we take shortcuts, when it comes to our study of God’s Word, we may not recognize this.

We are to test everything and hold on to the good.

We are to test what we hear against Scripture—The Bible—not a devotional, or a podcast, or a verse a day calendar. Those things are often great, but we need to read the Bible above all else.

Why?

There are false teachers who seek their own glory, who peddle the word of God to their gain. (2 Cor 2:17)

Especially right now, there are those who water the Word down to make it culturally acceptable because they desire the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:43)

There are those who twist Scripture, as it was not intended, to promote their own agendas.

And we can fall for any, and all of this, if we take shortcuts when it comes to God’s Word.

We have to read the Bible with the Bible. This is what it means to take the “whole counsel of God’s Word.”

We want to make sure we are reading verses in context, not ignoring the hard things, not picking and choosing only the easy parts, and listening to teacher’s who do the same.

We can’t take this lightly.

The enemy is a great deceiver and he will not hesitate to use people who misuse God’s Word in his efforts to destroy us and, in the very least, render us ineffective for the Kingdom.

But God. He has given us everything we need to know Him and His ways:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Pet 1:3-4)

Our precious Father has given us the Word and the Holy Spirit. We have everything we need for life and godliness to escape the corruption of this world.

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(Please also test anything you read on this page. And please, above all, read the Word for yourself. You need His Word more than anything.)

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